...Jay Patel, an imposing 54-year-old man with a beard and a ponytail, looks like he could be a stage villain in a pantomime, but happens to run the most sophisticated kitchen knife shop in London, the Japanese Knife Company.

Jay Patel of London's Japanese Knife Company explains how many different knives the domestic cook requires - and how to cut a tomato into more than 150 slices.

Such is his passion that he spent nearly a decade in the workshop of one of Japan's master knife makers before returning to London and starting a mail-order knife business in 1998. He now has three small shops in London that cater both to professional chefs and dedicated amateurs.

"I know that if I cut an onion with a good sharp blade, I don't get any tears because the acid remains inside the onion—that also means there is more flavor inside it too," he says. To prove his point, he thrusts a handful of freshly cut onion rings close to his eyes without any apparent affect.

"It suddenly made me realize that there is this whole thing that many people do not appreciate about knives and the cutting of vegetables," he adds. "Sharpness, unlike a lot of things that you ingest, is about speed and it's addictive. Once you get it, you always want more." ...http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704523604575511402254956056.html

Do watch the video, you will envy his knife skills. :D

Gingersnap

09-24-2010, 11:05 AM

Impressive.

My knife skills might not be all that good in the kitchen but I bet I could eviscerate a zombie in 10 seconds or less. :cool:

hampshirebrit

09-24-2010, 12:53 PM

Excellent. The website has a lot of good stuff about sharpening. Mr Patel is against the use of a steel. Whetstone w/ an angle-guide is his preferred method.